With The Alloy of Law and Shadows of Self, Brandon Sanderson surprised readers with a New York Timesbestselling spinoff of his Mistborn books, set after the action of the trilogy, in a period corresponding to late 19th-century America.

"The Bands of Mourning are the mythical metalminds once owned by the Lord Ruler, said to grant anyone who wears them the powers that the Lord Ruler had at his command. Hardly anyone thinks they truly exist, but now a kandra researcher has returned to Elendel with images that seem to depict the Bands, as well as writings in a language that no one can read. Plus another image that shocks Waxillium Ladrian: a photo of his sister, Telsin, being held captive by his uncle, a leader of the shadowy organization known as the Set. Wax travels south to the city of New Seran to investigate, along with his partner, Wayne, the brilliant Marasi, and the ethically flexible kandra MeLaan. On their journey they find the Set has discovered the wreckage of a mysterious ship miles from any water, and hold prisoner a masked survivor who barely speaks the language. His people and the Set are also hunting the Bands--can they be located before they fall into the wrong hands?"--

When a researcher returns to Elendel with images of a mythical Lord Ruler artifact, believed to grant wearers his power, Waxillium Ladrian conducts an investigation in the southern city of New Seran, where he makes unsettling discoveries about the true goals of The Set.

The Bands of Mourning are the mythical metalminds owned by the Lord Ruler, said to grant anyone who wears them the powers that the Lord Ruler had at his command. Hardly anyone thinks they really exist. A kandra researcher has returned to Elendel with images that seem to depict the Bands, as well as writings in a language that no one can read. Waxillium Ladrian is recruited to travel south to the city of New Seran to investigate. Along the way he discovers hints that point to the true goals of his uncle Edwarn and the shadowy organization known as The Set.